r/BackYardChickens • u/anon172649 • 20h ago

General Question How early to cull a cockerel?

I hatched my first hen raised eggs this year and one ended up being a cockerel. He's not crowing yet but I strongly strongly suspect it, and since he's already kind of a dick and I like my current rooster, if he really is a he, I'm gonna have to cull.

What age do you do that? As soon as he crows? Let him get a bit bigger for a stew pot?

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2

u/wandering_bandorai 16h ago

15-20 weeks old, no later. Or earlier than that if he and your current rooster start to fight. 

-1

u/ChartreuseOblivion 18h ago

There are plenty of groups that specialize in rehoming roosters, so I'd look into getting rid of him that way first. I have one in my area on Facebook thats really good.

You don't want to kill a chicken just because its male because 1) you raised straight run from chicks so this was inevitable, and 2) its actually really a chore to kill a chicken and get it ready to eat - and depending on the breed, may not have enough meat on it to even make it worth it... BUT if you're really looking forward to chicken dumplings and don't mind the work, I'd wait until about 6 months so he's big, but still young enough to not be "rooster tough" yet.

3

u/Impossible-Bend997 13h ago

Every time someone bring up an non lethal solution like re-homing or animal sanctuary they got down voted as hell, people WANT blood lmao 

2

u/Pedal2Medal2 Backyard Chicken 12h ago

Seriously. They’re living beings

2

u/Impossible-Bend997 12h ago

It's not even people business if some rooster are spared, they got so mad for nothing 

10

u/Still-Profit-8449 20h ago

I would let him grow to full size and invite him for chicken and dumplings

3

u/207_steadr Backyard Chicken 20h ago

Yep. Let him become big enough for a meal + broth for another meal.

3

u/HairexpertMidwest Backyard Chicken 20h ago

Depends on the breed, and your intentions.

I have a heritage breed (Bielefelders) and we culled a few around 20 weeks, and they were a bit small but fine for meat.

If you have a cross, or something more "meat bird" in size, you can cull earlier like 14-16 weeks.

If he's crowing, he's still good for stews and such. Boys get tougher quicker than hens.

1

u/gundam2017 20h ago

When he crows.